Dedicated to wrestling with questions of faith, religion, and theology that arise in comic books and other pop culture media. Occasionally irreverent, rarely sacrilegious.

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Dead Theologians Society: St. Polycarp

If you study the early church, I
mean the really early church,
you quickly run into St. Polycarp. A disciple of the Apostle John, Polycarp
lived from 69 to 155, becoming the bishop of Smyrna – some accounts indicate
that John nay have ordained him to that position.

Polycarp
is an important link in the theological and leadership chain of the church,
mentoring Irenaeus,
who heard him speak in his youth, as well as Tertullian.
Serving in an area led by a government opposed to the new religion, he led his
flock for decades. At the age of 86, Polycarp was led into a stadium in Smyrna
to be burned alive. After that attempt failed, he was finally killed by a
dagger.

Only one
of the many letters written by Polycarp is still extant, one written to the
Church of Philippi. One passage instructs believers on the proper attitude to
maintain. “Stand fast, therefore, in this conduct and follow the example of the
Lord, ‘firm and unchangeable in faith, lovers of the brotherhood, loving each
other, united in truth,’ helping each other with the mildness of the Lord,
despising no man.”

Along
with Clement and Ignatius, Polycarp is considered on the Apostolic Fathers of
the 2nd Century church.